Premier urges more dialogue between officials and public

By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter

Caught in a wave of criticism over a series of unfavorable policies, Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) yesterday urged his Cabinet to enhance communication with the public by referencing the “world cafe” approach adopted by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) at the recent national conference on climate change.

Communication between government officials and civic groups means providing a time and a place for officials to listen to people and for activists to fully express their views, Executive Yuan spokesperson Hu Yu-wei (胡幼偉) quoted Chen as saying.

Chen made the remarks after being briefed at a weekly Cabinet meeting about the national conference on climate change held on June 5 to June 6 — the culmination of two years of preparations with officials, ordinary people and civic groups participating.

According to the EPA, it held regional “world cafes” in five counties and cities, in which participants formed small groups at cafe-style tables to explore issues related to climate change that affect their lives, before a national preparatory meeting for the conference was held in the form of a “world cafe.”

This discussion method between people and officials fostered collaborative dialogue, active engagement and constructive suggestions, the EPA said.

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) agreed to the proposal made by environmental groups at a meeting on World Earth Day on April 22, 2010, and instructed the EPA to organize the national conference to set a future direction for climate change policy.

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